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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Three men were arrested in Jacksonville,
Florida on smuggling charges this week.
Chin Chou from Taiwan, Qiao Chu from China and Wei-Tang Lo from
California successfully imported over 900 containers of Chinese Honey over the
past two years which they fraudulently labeled rice fructose. Once the honey passed customs as rice
fructose it was shipped to warehouses where it was relabeled amber honey and
sold to U.S. honey companies. U.S.
Customs did seize 123 containers (over 5,000,000 lbs/ 2.27 million kgs.) of falsely labeled Chinese honey at 11
different ports of entry. The smugglers
saved millions on anti-dumping duty ($2.63 per kilo) which was levied against
Chinese honey in 2001 to counter heavily subsidized Chinese honey. American beekeepers unable to compete were
being forced out of business. Chinese
honey is ultra filtered to remove pollen which is the only way to trace the
origin. Honey from China can contain banned antibiotics (health
hazard) and heavy metals. Sweeteners are
added to the contaminated honey to mask the acrid taste and smell ( http://strathconabeekeepers.blogspot.com/2011/11/chinese-laundered-honey.html).

In 2010 Canada exported $70 million of honey
and imported $15 million of honey mostly from the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. I wonder if any of that honey came to this
continent as rice fructose.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

After a week of wet, windy, cool weather the sun came out. It was a balmy 10 celsius (50 fahrenheit) today and the girls came out of the hive to celebrate. I put some pollen by the entrance of the hive and some of the ladies partook in the smorgasbord. Most chose to soak up the rays or snack on the sodium on my skin (I was naked). Not really, but I was in short sleeves.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

John Stark, an
amazing British artist has created a body of art entitled
"Apiculture" (beekeeping). The theme of
anonymous beekeepers engaged in ritual beekeeping is timeless, set somewhere in
the past or distant future. Like most
good artwork it is an ambiguous metaphor
who's interpretation is subjective to the observer and evolving over time. John describes his artwork as “a really nice
open metaphor, that can be read in so many different ways. All through the
history of literature and art, the beehive has been cited as an example of
utopian society, of a selfless existence. Do these hives represent the world?
An idealised world? Art, even? Are the keepers the artists, producing the art,
or the collectors harvesting the art?”

The beehives and
beekeepers form the narrative instrument to delve into the spiritual
existential meaning of life. "I
see painting as a way of being, it is at least a mystical path and I believe in
its power as a pursuit for truth where notions of the self are reflected upon.
The result is then allegorical for the viewer who projects on to these open
narratives traits from their own perception of their reality. The intention is
that the works operate as a gateway for us to pass through together (in the
metaphysical sense) while simultaneously tapping into the collective
unconscious.

I
can’t name a direct inspiration for this, although I have been listening to a
lot of Buddhist teachings recently and looking at the symbolism from the school
of The Fourth Way which refers to a concept used by G.I. Gurdjieff to describe
an approach to self-development that helps to realize ones potential by
transcending the body and achieving a higher state of consciousness. It is
thought that we are living in a waking sleep and there are various ways to
focus our attention and energy so that a range of inner abilities become
possible. So it’s something inherent and built into the work and these current
paintings refer back to ideas explored in my earlier works which attempt to
tackle issues of the self, individuation and ‘the spiritual’ by replacing old
mythologies and placing myself in the cannon of an art historical
context."

Monday, November 21, 2011

In the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal men harvest Himalayan Cliff Bee (Apis Laboriosa) honey as they have for generations. The Himalayan honey bee, the biggest in the world at up to 3 cm (1.2 inches) is specifically adapted to the harsh climate of the Himalayas. It nests at altitudes between 2500 and 3000 meters (8200-9800 ft) and forages at altitudes up to 4100 meters (13500 ft). They have a flight range of 5-14 kilometers (3-9 miles). This bee builds nests under overhangs on the southwestern faces of vertical cliffs. They are found in Bhutan, India, China and Nepal.

Himalayan Cliff Bee

The Himalayan Cliff bee migrates for seasonal blossoms and produces three different types of honey: Spring high altitude or red honey; Spring mid to low altitude honey; and Autumn honey. The Red honey is the most praised because of it's intoxicating or relaxing effects. It is not consumed locally but exported at five times the price of other honeys to Japan and China for traditional medicinal use. In Korea some healers are using it to treat drug addiction. The intoxicating effects come from grayanotoxin present in the nectar of white rhododendrons.

The ownership and control of honey harvesting has always been in the control of local villages but in many areas because of increased foreign demand control has been turned over to non-traditional harvesters and exporters. This, along with loss of habitat and the introduction of the European honey bee has caused a tremendous decrease in the Himalayan Cliff bee population. To view a study on the status of Apis Laboriosa (Himalayan Cliff Bee) go to "The status of Apis Laboriosa in Western Nepal". The European honey bee has also brought with it a bacteria which causes European Foulbrood (bee disease) to which the Himalayan bee has little resistance. There are four types of honey bees native to Nepal: Apis Laboriosa; Apis Dorsata (Tropical giant Honey Bee); Apis Florea (Dwarf Honey Bee); and Apis Cerana (Asian Honey Bee). To view the status of these native bees and the imported Apis Mellifera (European Honey Bee) go to Himalayan Honey Bees and Beekeeping in Nepal.

The Himalayan Honey Bee is aggressive and has never been domesticated as it does not use enclosed cavities for nesting

The Himalayan Cliff bee is essential for the pollination of high altitude plants and their decreased populations puts these ecosystems in jeopardy. For the past ten years groups have been working to protect the Himalayan Cliff bee by returning sustainable harvesting control back to the local villages and protecting habitat. Their habitat has become fragmented due to deforestation. In recent years bee populations have stabilized and it is hoped that increased income from "Honey harvesting tourism" will be an incentive for young people to learn the traditional harvesting methods of their elders. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has created a "Center of Excellence for Asian Bees" to work with traditional honey hunters and beekeepers to maintain a healthy population of native honey bees and subsequently ensure needed pollination of native plants.
Although Apis Dorsata, a family of bees which the Himalayan Cliff bee, Apis dorsata laboriosa is a member have never been kept by indigenous people because of it's aggressive nature, open nests and seasonal migration a form of sustainable beekeeping called "Rafter Beekeeping" has begun in Cambodia. Unlike the traditional honey hunters the Cambodian Rafter beekeepers selectively take only portions of the honey leaving the nest intact. The bees return year after year. (Rafter Beekeeping).
This wonderful film is about an English farmer and beekeeper who travels to Nepal to be part of the traditional, amazing honey harvest of the wild Himalayan Cliff bee.

I will definitely add this to my bucket list (sustainably). To check out great honey hunting photos from Andrew Newey go to Gurung Honey Hunters. To watch honey hunting in Nepal go to Adventure Geo Treks.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Is the honey you buy from the super market really honey? Unfortunately that is a question you should be asking.
China is by far the largest producer of honey in the world (approximately 300,000 metric tons per year). The Chinese agriculture industry uses pesticides and herbicides banned in most developed countries. The deleterious effects of these chemical additives on humans and bees has been well documented. In one example excessive use of pesticides in pear orchards wiped out entire bee populations in parts of Sichuan Province where they now must pollinate by hand (we ain't that good at it).

Chinese beekeepers are known to use antibiotics (to treat bee diseases) banned in most developed countries because of health concerns. One of these anti-biotics is chloramphenicol which is the drug of choice in third world countries because it is cheap and easy to manufacture. Chloramphenicol is known to cause aplastic anmenia, bone marrow suppression and childhood leukimia. These antibiotics used by the Chinese beekeepers seep into the honey and contaminate it. Heavy metals, probably from lead containers used to store the honey have been found in tested Chinese honey. To mask the acrid smell and taste of this contaminated honey they mix in sugar, corn syrup, rice syrup or malt sweeteners.

In 2001 the U.S. Commerce Department imposed a $1.20/lb anti-dumping tariff on imported Chinese honey because American beekeepers were being forced out of business by cheap, heavily subsidized Chinese honey. The Chinese honey was selling for 25 cents/lb while North American beekeepers needed $1.50/lb to break even. To counteract this Chinese honey producers began using ultra-filtering methods to conceal the origin of their honey. Prior to this ultra-filtering was not used by the world's honey manufacturers. Ultra-filtering is a high tech process where the honey is heated, sometimes dilluted and forced at high pressure through micro filters to remove microscopic particles including pollen which is the only way of identifying the origin of the honey.

Bee pollen has been used by many cultures including the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks for it's health benefits and therapeutic properties. Bee pollen has a higher density of protein than any animal source and is a concentrated source of b vitamin complex (provides energy). It also contains vitamins A,C,D,E,selenium,lecithin and powerful phytochemicals (carotenoids and bioflavonoids) making it a potent antioxidant (important in cancer prevention). Chinese medicine has recognized bee pollen benefits for thousands of years.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says any product so ultra-filtered to not contain pollen is not honey. The World Health Organization, European Commission and other health organizations state the only way to determine the legitimate and safe source of honey is through the pollen. More than 75% of honey sold in stores in North America was found to have no pollen meaning it was ultra-filtered. The only reason to ultra-filter honey is to hide it's origin.

This ultra-filtered honey is laundered through other Asian countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and now the country of choice, India.

This is one example of a German company laundering cheap Chinese honey
through other countries. The company imported millions of pounds of
honey by disguising it's origins. To read more about this go to "The Honey Trap" .

A South Dakota beekeepers' battle against honey laundering.

A senior figure in the Australian Honey industry had his car's brakes tampered with and received death threats after exposing Chinese honey laundering to the U.S. through Australia. A number of arrests have been made of honey launderers in the U.S. and Europe with no effect on the supply of laundered honey.
Honey is used in countless processed foods like cereals, granola and cookies and until governments implement honey standards that include unfiltered pollen and testing for contaminants the only safe place to buy honey is from your local beekeeper.
What can you do? Check out "True Source Honey", a good updated information base for ethically and non ethically produced honey (http://www.truesourcehoney.com/take-action/) or better still buy locally. The best policy always is to buy from your local farmer and beekeeper.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Entomologists from the Universite Paris-Sorbonne made a startling revelation this week when studying a colony of Hygienic Carniolan honey bees. A state of the art miniature tracking camera provided new insight into how bees produce honey. Below is a video of this startling discovery.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Urban beekeeping has become fashionable in recent times with most North American cities having legalized the activity, including New York City in 2010. In 2009 the White House carpenter, a hobby beekeeper, on Michelle Obama's request brought a spare hive to the White house grounds. Located on the South Lawn near the first ladies' vegetable garden the hive produced a record 225 pounds of honey this year. Most people are surprised to learn that urban bee colonies near water with a wide variety of landscape plantings generally produce much more honey than rural bees. Testing the White House honey revealed the primary pollen source to be clover with the secondary sources being dogwood, cherry, crepe myrtle, elm, magnolia, honey suckle and poison ivy (ouch).

In the spring of 2010 two hives were installed on the roof of Vancouver City Hall. On the green roof of Vancouver's Fairmont Waterfront Hotel there is a herb garden and 5 bee hives which brought in over 600 pounds of honey this year. Vancouver's new convention center has a 6 acre green roof which is also home to a bee hive. While the future of urban beekeeping has never looked so good there are still a few unfortunate beekeepers like Bethel of Port Washington, Wisconsin struggling against city officials to keep bees (http://bethelsbees.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/lets-back-the-truck-up-for-a-sec/).

Saturday, November 5, 2011

It's a sunny 8 degrees celsius (46 fahrenheit) November 5th (11 a.m.) and the ladies (bees) are very active today. I saw a waggle dance on the front porch today and several of the girls returned with their legs covered in pollen. Most sources will tell you that bees stop flying below 10 degrees celsius (50 fahrenheit) but our bees are tough Canadian girls, eh. I contemplated insulating the whole hive this winter but am not decided yet on it's benefits. Insulation keeps the warmth in but also keeps the warmth out on a sunny day like today. Also, although the cold increases energy expenditure and thereby food consumption the main problem with wintering bees is not the cold but in fact cold moisture from inner cover condensation dripping on the bees. I'll continue to monitor the research on hive insulation. I did install an insulated (3 inches of solid R 12) moisture quilt and wrapped the hive in black roofing paper to absorb the heat.

We fed the girls with a hive feeder and heavy syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water). Our girls are pigs and can consume a 4 liter feeder in two days but once the temperature hits about 12 degrees celsius they won't touch it. The temperature cut off point is debatable but at some point the girls find it unpalatable. They must evaporate the syrup to store it in the cells and at cold temperatures this is impossible. If necessary you can feed them a solid like sugar candy or pollen. I initially wrapped the sides of the hive shelter but soon found the bees have difficulty finding their way out. So much for my claim of our genius honey bees. I had read about this behavior from a beekeeper who attempted to winter his bees in a greenhouse. Although there were obvious entrances to the greenhouse most of the bees could not find them when returning. On a sadder note a beekeeper in Port Washington, Wisconsin is having her hive removed by an ignorant city official ( http://bethelsbees.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/lets-back-the-truck-up-for-a-sec/ ). Most cities have recognized beekeeping as a safe and ecologically important urban practice. Fortunately for us Vancouver officially sanctioned beekeeping in 2005 (http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/socialplanning/initiatives/foodpolicy/projects/beekeeping.htm). Below is a 5 minute video of the girls buzzing about the hive on this fine November day. Funny thing, my meshed mouse proof entrance reducer has a raised V.I.P. entrance to the right because dead bee bodies in the winter can block the entrance (there is still the upper entrance). For the most part (I watched the ladies for about one hour) the guard bees behind the entrance reducer only allowed girls with pollen on their legs into the V.I.P. entrance. Approximately 5 percent of the bees using the main entrance had pollen on their legs and 80 percent of the bees using the V.I.P. entrance had pollen on their legs.

Recent Posts

Cottonwood Fire

At 2 am on July 3,2017 there was a fire at Cottonwood Community Gardens and our greenhouse and the attached tool/bee shed burnt to the ground. Arson is suspected. Nothing was salvageable from the fire and apart from the building itself, the largest loss is the beekeeping supplies. These include a community honey extractor, honey bucket, filters, decappers (lent out to the public for free), protective clothing for free lessons and beekeeping tools, boxes and frames. The Strathcona Beekeepers Association and the Cottonwood Beekeeping Coop are two of the groups that use the garden. They provided free beekeeping lessons to the public and honey for the community garden and foodbank. This shed also held our pruning, irrigation and construction tools and supplies.
Cottonwood is a volunteer organization that operates on a shoestring — our funds come mainly from our yearly plot fees. We're asking for your financial support to help us to rebuild and resupply our garden and beekeeping operation. Thanks.

Vancouver Honey Bee Swarm Rescue

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An Inconvenient Truth

Musings

The Strathcona Beekeepers meet on the last Sunday of each month during the bee season. Everyone is welcome. For more information contact us at strathconabeeatgmaidotcom.

Join the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge

Ohio State University has created a free honey bee biology and beekeeping course based on Dr. Reed Johnson's for-credit OSU Beekeeping Course. The free course consists of video lectures, handouts and readings presented on iTunes which is a free download. The course is extensive and consists of 138 segments covering every aspect of bees and beekeeping. To access this course click on the image above.

Australia and Neonics

The Truth:“I can tell you with all certainty that neonicotinoids are killing and damaging thousands of beehives in Australia. But beekeepers won’t speak up because they need the relationship with the farmers.” Gibbs also remarks that while old organophosphates kill bees outright, death via neonics is very slow and more pervasive. It can take the hive down over months and it can take months to bring the bees back. “The fuckers… so much money and lobbying behind them.” Beekeepers in Australia have been able to survive, explains Gibbs, because after being exposed to neonics, they can run their hive into the forests for fresh nectar and pollen (primarily red gum and iron bark trees). Australia is a worldwide excuse for insecticide companies who are blaming Varroa mite for bee colony collapse overseas and claiming that Australian bees are healthy. Given the present situation of most beekeepers in Australia, this is not only a joke but an insult. The only winners here are the pesticide corporations, making a mockery of your present hardship.